The Farr Side: A lifelong trek through music

David T. Farr More Content Now

Thursday

Aug 2, 2018 at 10:29 AMAug 2, 2018 at 10:29 AM

As a kid, I loved having my own records. I got that from my mom. She introduced me to music by playing her records. I grew to love the music she played. Elvis Presley, The Supremes, Ricky Nelson, Simon & Garfunkel and The Beach Boys were often heard alongside The Statler Brothers, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. That’s what a stackable record-player could do.

When I began getting records of my own, it was apparent I liked more than what my friends would have found cool. I noticed how artists brought different things to the table. It inspired me to know more about them. That might be why I as glued to the radio all weekend long for music countdowns. It was important for me to know what was happening on the charts.

I had a fairly large collection of 45s. Most of them came from a local neighborhood department store or from garage sales. To buy the records, I used money I earned from mowing lawns.

My record collection changed to cassettes the moment my mom got me my first jam-box. It was the coolest thing ever. My first cassette was Air Supply’s “Greatest Hits,” followed by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” She knew what music meant to me.

My cassette collection grew rapidly, occupying a large part of my bedroom. There was a point when I could have told you exactly where I got each of them.

As technology changed and CDs moved into the mainstream, my collection had to evolve. As much as I was against the compact disc at first, I eventually adjusted. I was at a point in my life where I had numerous favorite albums and artists representing numerous genres. I needed to get my cassette favorites in CD form, and I had amassed more than 1,000 cassettes.

For Christmas my senior year, my parents got me a Sharp home stereo system, complete with a dual cassette deck, digital receiver and a CD-changer that held 10 discs. It had a fantastic bass booster. The sound from that system was awesome. I remember my mom saying the store was playing a song on the stereo that made her want to buy it. That song was “End Of The Line” by The Traveling Wilburys. Needless to say, I got that CD with the stereo, too. That’s how cool my mom was: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison and Roy Orbison.

Music is a healer. Having gone through a traumatic illness, music was my saving grace. Mom knew the importance the role of music would play in my recovery from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. It has the power to calm you, inspire, motivate and relax you, and more.

My CD collection has grown to 4,700. I have rock, pop, dance, classic country, top 40, R&B, some rap, show tunes and almost everything in between. A true music lover can appreciate it all. I still buy CDs when I can. I have an awesome iPod and I’ve been able to make great playlists, but it isn’t the same. There’s something about holding a CD in my hand that feels “right.”

I still love my Pioneer home stereo system. You can’t beat the sound. Plus, mine can hold 100 CDs. A day will come when such a system won’t exist. That will be a sad day for music.

Recently, I came across a longtime friend’s estate store. I was pleased to see a lot of music for sale. There were record albums, cassettes and tons of CDs. I could have spent all day looking through them. It was as if I was looking through my own collection. That’s when it hit me: I’m not alone in my love for music. Here was someone’s collection that took years to accumulate. I found a few I hadn’t been able to locate, too, not even online.

Readers of this column often ask how I could love such a wide variety of music. They read music reviews, artist interviews and concert trips I’ve recounted and wonder how I can go from one thing to another. Well, I think the answer is obvious …— David T. Farr can be reached at farrboy@hotmail.com.

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